Coconut Milk
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The way I was taught in the Philippines by my sister in-law was to grate
down the coconut, add a little water, allow to stand, place in muslin and
then squeeze out the milk. The first squeezing is the superior quality milk
adding more water and re-squeezing produces a weaker lower quality milk.
Given this production method, the oily coconut solid invariably separate
from the water. Filipino cooking actually uses these as two separate
ingredients.
If you cook down the solids, it forms coconut oil, brown crispy solids
which again get used in Filipino cookery for cakes and candies.
From: Guy C. Reynolds in rec.food.cooking on Jan 25, 1999.